Beatrice and Benedick

So here we are with Much Ado About Nothing. In the very first scene of the play we are introduced to some very interesting characters, but the character that is of the most interest to me is Beatrice. We learn that she is the niece of Leonato, the governor of Messina.

It is true that she is good-hearted and generous, but there is a side of her that I can’t help but compare to Benedick. These two characters appear at the beginning of the play, mainly in Act one, to be complete opposites, but in fact I see many things between them that are true similarities.

These similarities make me think that perhaps the idea of Don Pedro and Leonato is right on point. “She were an excellent wife for Benedick” (2.1.294). 

To start, the two are very good with words, quick-witted, and get kicks out of mocking others, even their own friends. Beatrice says, “…he is the Prince’s jester, and a very dull fool…” (2.1.113). She goes on to say that his only talent is to come up with “impossible slanders” (2.1.114). Ironically, she too has many of the same characteristics that she says makes Benedick a fool.

Being that the women in the previous plays do not act and speak the way that Beatrice does, I can only assume that it is not typical behavior for the time. Beatrice’s constant pestering of Benedick is a quality that makes her a very unique character of this play. Perhaps, her speaking out of line is the major quality that makes her the fool of the play.

I think that it appears most that Benedick is a fool, when he is giving different meanings to what Beatrice has said to him about dinner (2.3.226-231). This scene most directly reminds me of the scene in Twelfth Night where Feste and Viola are mixing and playing with words.  

                                “No, sir, I live by the church.”

                                “Art thou a clergyman?”

                                “No such matter, sir. I do live by the church; for I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by the church.” (3.1.3-6).

I will personally be paying close attention to this technique and see if Shakespeare continues to use. I am also very interested to learn if there is something underlying in this concept in terms of this play as well as others.

We looked last week at the fool in Twelfth Night, Feste, and the role that he has on the story. Although I am not yet sure how this play is going to end, I do know that in each of the plays we have read thus far, fools do play an important role. My thoughts are that this play is going to be based a great deal on the fools of the story. I find it interesting that these three plays have so many similarities. Let’s hear it for the fools of the play thus far!